A bit of sad news this holiday season as the San Francisco Baking Institute has been ordered to cease all operations by California’s Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education.

Founder Michael Suas was ordered to cease all operation as of last Friday despite the longstanding school submitting all the necessary documentation, forms and associated fees to renew its license to operate. Suas has been a longtime advocate for the modern artisan baking movement, including lending support to bakeries like Tartine, Acme, Semifreddis, The Cheese Board and Firebrand.

Along with operating the school, Suas has donated the facility for training purposes of Team USA for the Baking World Cup.

The staff, which just found out about the news on Wednesday, has started an online petition on Change.org as the state has ordered the school to shut down while it goes through the application process; they have been told this review process could take 2-3 months or longer.

Being a small organization, they would be unable to survive the financial strain of this long of a closure.

Teachers at the school said they will submit the petition on December 31, asking state officials to allow them to remain open while the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education review is pending.